First days of the second part of my drip

If you would like to see pictures from the first part of the trip follow this link
Link for Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/mansfield.fisher



Finally to be back in South America and I could not be any happier. After a grueling 22 hour trip I arrived in Cochabamba without almost any problems. I am currently studying more Spanish in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I am living with the same “mom” I lived with before her name is Cira. Cira, the best Bolivian mom you could ever ask for, lives by herself currently because her son is working out in the country as a doctor so me being here really works out for both of us.

Daily routine (more of less)
7:05 my alarms goes off and its time for a fun-filled day
7:05-7:30 I snooze my alarm several times until Cira comes and drags me out of bed
7:30-8:15 We eat breakfast or I should say she eats breakfast (bread, butter, and fruit) and I drink coffee and long to go back to sleep. I will normally finish any homework I had if I did not do and then am off to the school.
8:15-12:15 SPANISH SPANISH SPANISH and more Spanish. Everyone is working one on one with a teacher so you really speak and learn Spanish the entire time. I love all the teachers there and we are able to have many fun and interesting conversations ranging from girls to politics. It’s nice to have teachers who want to learn about you as well laugh and have fun.
12:30 Cira and I eat lunch at the house where she cooks some sort of amazing food every single day. It makes me feel like I’m back at home.
12:30-6:30 Normally head to the center of the city for a little to just see the city and buy anything if I need it. The market is always fun to go to. It’s incredibly huge and spans 2 or 3 full city blocks whatever you want you will for sure be able to find anything thing you could possibly imagine except apparently a map of Central America which I have looking for. The have things ranging from dried lama fetuses to people who want to read your “alma” or spirit with coca leaves and some sort of cards. Today I bought some DVDs for about 1.50 apiece and some Latin music cds.
6:30-7:15 Cira and I eat dinner, and practice Spanish.
7:15-to when I go to sleep. Usually this contains going out to the “cancha” or basketball court so watch some pick up soccer, maybe going to a little shop where you can play Fifa on Xbox and pool. Some nights I will head out to the Center for a few drinks and just to relax with other students at the school as if I am not relaxing enough already.

This past weekend one of my best friends from the US was leaving so we had a party for her which included lots of Bolivian dancing. I am not sure why but to me it seems like every time I end up dancing a traditional Bolivian dance it always includes a tissue and lots of spinning. A friend from Switzerland who I met last time I was here and is still here working in the Southern part of Bolivia in Tarijah came to visit me and also brought a friend along which was good we had lots of fun. Friday we went to another going away party for a different student and stayed out and danced, ate and drank. Saturday we headed out for dinner at Paprika in which we had a meat fondue which was very very good. Camille and her friend Gasper are from Switzerland and I am slowly learning that the Swiss LOVE fondue. I agree its good but if there is not fondue of some sort they feel there is something missing and maybe even wrong. We went out to a Cuban bar after and played Cacho, a Bolivian dice game, and just hung out. Sunday I went to a soccer game. At the end of the first it was 0-0 and worried that I was in for a boring second half as well soccer wise atleast; however, I was in for a grand surprise. There were six goals in the second half and three red cards. Five of the goals were scored off set pieces. Which is not normal and I felt there could have been a little more active defense on the corners. I will be leaving for Montero either Friday night or a Saturday morning depending on when and if there is a soccer game in Montero. I will be headed back to work at the medical clinics again in Montero and am very excited about returning now that I speak Spanish much better than before.